Bentley Arnage: Going hybrid in 2010?

The dreams of Yoko Ono might finally come true as it is reported that Audi might help Bentley with a hybrid option for the Bentley Arnage.

Bentley is well under way with a plan to replace the mighty Arnage in 2010. It’s a project that will require the Volkswagen-owned company to address green issues, but will also provide the basis for a new generation of Bentley models for the next decade.

The new car is likely to be built around an aluminium spaceframe chassis made by Audi, skinned with aluminium panels. A major reworking of the factory — in preparation for other future models — could also be part of the Arnage project.

Although the car should be powered by Bentley’s venerable 6.75-litre V8, this is likely to be hooked up to a hybrid drivetrain, using either major components from Audi’s new-generation quattro hybrid running gear, or the hybrid transmission already being developed for the Q7.

In a recent interview, Audi engineering boss Michael Dick said all the new Bentleys would use a version of Audi’s spaceframe, cutting around 150kg from the bare bodyshell.

The Bentleys will use the core of the Audi structure, which will be available in three different sizes, but with new metal from the waistline upwards. For the Arnage the base of the windscreen will be mounted higher and the pillars reshaped.